Bryan Hitch's Ultimate Comic Studio Paperback – 29 Oct. 2010

Book arrived quickly and was in Pristine condition!

Exactly as advertised!!!

As a long time fan of Bryan's work I saw this and knew it was essential reading. Seeing the lengthy and complex process that goes into producing todays modern comic art is simply put amazing.Once upon a time comics were regarded as cheap, throwaway crap. Hack writers and barely competent artists churning out the same tired ideas.Alot has changed. Sure the likes of Kane, Millar, Moore, Gibbons, Bolland, Davis and Gaimen, to name but a few have elevated the status of the modern comic book. (Yes, I know, I know. There are all time greats- Kirby, Lee, Eisner through to those that broke the mould, Neal Adams, Sim, Lee, Byrne to modern masters such as Perez, Garcia Lopez, Simonson etc etc.) But by and large it's only been the last ten years that have seen movie style visuals and literary influences really expand and raise the public perception of comic books. I'm not knocking what has gone before.For me one of the crucial elements of this rejuevenated view of this medium is the work of Bryan Hitch.This book traces some of Bryan's work from the point where he took a different view on what to produce. Moving away from tired concepts and approaches to a new "movie real" approach.Well written and informative despite a few errors. (One page the caption mentions the power of the Thing in an image that's actually the Hulk. Another mentions Paul Neary being the colourist when we all know, and is stated elsewhere in the book, he is a long standing inker collaborating with Bryan) This book succinctly goes through Bryans approach and working methods. Anyone thinking of a career in comics would gain alot from reading this.It won't necessarily make you a better artists but it might help push your art to a new level. Hints, tips and tricks are mentioned along the way.Seeing images and visuals of how the finished page "might" have looked are also well worth the admission price.It would have been nice to have more pages of unseen art by Bryan...but who knows. Maybe that will be in the next book.Buy it- True Believers!!

Bought this for my son who loves everything Joss Whedon does so I'm sure new book will be a hit with him.

Fascinating insight into a creative mind, excellent advice on work-discipline & breathtaking artwork. A must-read not just for comic fans but anyone interested in working in the creative industry.

I saw some page examples on the net before I bought this and I really liked the look of it.There are some great pages full of nice images and notes on the process - But, Bryan just doesn't go into any detail - This means that the book is strangely set out with sections spreading over a few pages which should be constrained to just one. (with only the odd small paragraph on each page)It just doesn't feel finished to me.It's more filler than killer!!:(

This isn't a "How to" book as such, but more of the nuts and bolts of producing comic art in a commercial way. By that, I mean it has more to do with the discipline of producing pages of art by deadlines rather than showing you how to draw like Bryan Hitch. Not that it isn't inspiring - it is a lovely book to look at.A fab book by a fab artist who really loves his job and is completely without pretensions.

4 stars and not 5 because, on a personal level, I miss some more details in all the processes - one of those things is things like, why does he work on such big paper sizes, how does he assemble it all together and I also miss more on the pencelling process, some advices, some technical info on why and how to do it properly)...I really enjoyed the book, love it to be hardcover and there is plenty information of how Bryan works. More inspiration for me for sure. One of the best I seen so far. Its worth every penny!